Drinking fountain attachment



Feb. 9, 1960 A Essa ETAL 2,9243% DRINKING FOUNTAIN ATTACHMENT Filed March 21, 1,956

INVENTOR5 a 4.55552 4IX 5556'? 1.0., 4. M

United States Patent DRINKING FOUNTAIN ATTACHMENT I Leo A. Esser and Alex P. Esser, Oakland, Calif.

Application March 21, 1956, Serial No. 573,016 4 Claims. (31. 239-25 This invention relates to improvements in drinking fountain attachments for connection to standard faucets and particularly to drinking fountain attachments which i do not detract from either the appearance or the utility of standard faucet plumbing fixtures.

Drinking fountain attachments for plumbing fixtures have been known, but no successful commercial device has heretofore been made, which indicates in a large measure that prior devices have not met the requirements and demands of the purchasing public. It is highly desirable to have drinking fountains available conveniently in the bathroom, in the yard, in the garden, in the kitchen, and, in fact, any location where there is suitable water faucet. It is recognized healthful procedure to drink water at frequent intervals, not only for the purpose of replacing the liquid content of the body lost through perspiration and exercise, but to maintain the liquid balance in the body at convenient intervals between meals.

Accordingly, it is among the objects of the present invention to provide a drinking fountain attachment which can be readily installed at any location where there is a faucet whether it be a single or double fixture. I I

'It is also an object of the present invention to provide an attachment in the form of a drinking fountain without disturbing the faucet or its utility.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a drinking fountain attachment for standard faucet units which can be readily attached without the usual attendant installation bother or expense.

It is a further object to provide a convenient and sightly device which eliminates the need for drinking glasses in the bathroom or anywhere else, and so eliminates the possibility of dangerous broken glass.

It is another object of the present invention to make available a drinking fountain attachment for faucets at a minimum cost and a minimum of space.

Another object is to provide a readily available and usable drinking device which is completely sanitary and will not assist in the spread of disease.

It is also an important object of the present invention to provide an attachment which does not leak and which will require little or no maintenance.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, economy, and ease of manufacture, also such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will fully appear and as are inherently possessed by the de vice and the invention described herein.

The invention further resides in the combination, COII'. struction, and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the same is 'merely'illustrative of the invention and that the invention is capable 'of modification and-change, and comprehends other details of construction without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the ap pended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the drinking Patented Feb. 9, 1960 ice fountain attachment of the present invention attached to the outlet of a standard faucet which is only partly shown.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical section taken along the line 4 -4 of Figure 2 showing the manner of attaching the cup or guard.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the barrel portion of the plug valve.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like numerals have been used to designate the same parts or members in the several views, there is shown in Figure 1 a side elevational view of the drinking fountain attachment, removably secured to the faucet outlet 10, which is only partially shown. It will be observed that the complete device entails only a very short extension of the faucet outlet, and that the entire assembly involves only a little more than the diameter of the faucet outlet, itself. Accordingly, the attachment of the present invention does not in any way encompass any bulky'extraneous or-unsightly plumbing.

Referring now to Figure 3, which is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, the main element is the hexagonal body 11 which is a standard plumbing fixture form. The body 11 has an axial bore therethrough which is identified by the numeral 12. At its upper or entrance end it is counterbored at 14 to receive the cylindrical fitting 15 which terminates with an outwardly directed peripheral flange 16 spaced from the upper end of the body 11. Between the flange 16 and the end surface of the body 11 is the internal annular flange 18 of the ring member 17, which engages and is held by the flange 16 so that the ring 17 is free to rotate about the axis of the device but is locked in position on the body. The ring member 17 is threaded internally at 20 to engage threads 21 of the faucet 10 orthe same may be secured to the faucet in any other suitable manner. The form here shown, however, makes the drinkin-g fountain attachment readily attachable to any faucet merely by securing the threads 21 to a member secured within the outlet of the faucet 10. The outlet end of the body 11 is also counterbored at 22 to receive the cylindrical fitting 23 which is secured therein and thereto and extends axially therefrom to provide length for the female threads 24. As shown in Figure 3 a threaded collar 25 retaining a washer 26 and an aerating screen 27, is shown removably attached thereto. It is to be understood, however, that the female threads are also provided for the attachment of other usual devices such as a malecoupling of a hose, or the like. 7

The body 11 is bored transversely at 28, and preferably perpendicularly to one of the vertical faces thereof intersecting the vertical bore 12, as shown in Figure 2, to receive and provide a seat for the rotating plug valve 30. It is counterbored and threaded at 31 a sufficient distance to accommodate the plug 32 and its washer 33. The plug 32 is bored axially to receive the shank 34- of the operating lever 35 which is used to rotate the plug valve in its seat. The plug valve is bored transversely completely therethrough as at 36, which bore is intended for full registry with the axial bore 12 of the body 11. An annular groove 37, is placed around the plug in the plane of the axis of the bore 36 (see Figure 5-). As shown in Figure 3, the plug valve permits the clear passage through the bore 12 in the body 11 when the handle 35 is inthe vertical position. However, the valve may be closed by rotating the lever 35 in either direction from the position shown, leaving the groove 37 as the only communication around the closed position. Any

increment of the opening may be obtained from full open to closed by rotating the valve 30, less than 90.

Above the valve 30 another face of the body 11 is bored as at 38 to communicate with the central bore 12. It is counterboredexternally and provided with threads 39. These threads 39 are for attaching an upstanding L-shaped assembly 40, having a lateral portion 4 1and an upstanding portion 42. Threads 43 of the lateral portion 41 engage threads 39 to hold the assembly inposition on the body 11 in such a manner that the central bore or passage 44 communicates with the bore 38 'di rectly into the bore 12 of the body member. Within the axial bore of the lateral member 41 and p'referably at the juncture with the upstanding portion42, is an adjustable needle valve 45 for adjusting the volume and pressure of flow therethrough. The needle valve 45 is shown with threads 46 for the adjustment, but it is to be understood that any suitable means for this purpose is contemplated. The outlet end of the upstanding portion 42 is preferably provided with tapered removable tip 47. The taper of the outlet provides better action of the flow upon release at this point. The tip 47 is threaded at 48 to engage the internal threads 50 of the upstanding member 42. The tip thus is readily available for removal and cleaning. In some regions a guard 51 is required and this may be a suitable cup-shaped member having a central opening 52 so that it may be held in position between the shoulder 53 of the tip and the end 1 of the upstanding member 42. Suitable drain apertures '54 are provided.

The attachment of the present invention, whensecured to the ordinary faucet, operates substantially in the following manner: When the lever arm 35 is in the upright position, as shown in Figure 3, water released by the main valve of the faucet passes directly through the attachment in the normal manner and in the same fashion as if there had been no attachment at all. However, when the lever 35 is rotated 90 or less, it rotates the valve 30 and pro tanto diverts the water flow from the main bore 12 through the bore 38, and into the L-shaped assembly 40, causing the water to be released through the tip 47. The taper of the drinking tip 47 concentrates the stream and holds it together to give good full stream characteristics. The adjustments required for the needle valve are made by turning the main faucet valve to full on, and the valve 30 to full off. The adjustment of the needle valve 45 will set the maximum height for the released stream.

We claim:

l. A drinking fountain attachment for standard water faucets comprising in combination with a standard water faucet having a downwardly directed spout, a body memher with an axial passage therethrough for the normal flow of water attached to said spout, a plug valve in said body member transverse to said axial passage having a bore therethrough to permit the normal flow of water in one position and to divert the flow when rotated to another position, means external of the said body member for rotating said valve, a lateral take-off passage in said body upstream of said rotating valve, and an L-shaped tubular fitting secured in close proximity to said body and said spout and in registry with said take-01f passage for delivering the diverted flow as a drinking fountain, said L shaped fitting having an outlet orifice of a diameter less than the diameter of the passage of the fitting.

2. A drinking fountain attachment for standard water faucets comprising in combination, a standard water faucet having a downwardly directed spout, a body member with an axial passage therethrough for the normal 4 flow of water attached axially to said spout, a rotating valve in said body membertransverse to said axial passage having a bore therethrough to permit the normal flow of water in one position and to divert the flow when rotated to another position, a circumferential groove around said valve bleeding water therethrough in the main axial passage when the valve is rotated to the closed or diverted flow position, means external of the said body member for rotating said valve, a lateral take-01f passage in said body upstream of said rotating valve, and an L shaped tubular fitting secured in close proximity to said body and said spout and in registry with said take-01f passage to deliver the diverted flow as a drinking fountain.

3. A drinking fountain attachment for standard water faucets comprising in combination, a standard water faucet with a downwardly directed spout, a body member with an axial passage therethrough for the normal flow of water attached axially to said spout, a rotating valve in said body member transverse to said axial passage having a bore therethrough to permit the normal flow of water in one position and to divert the flow when rotated to another position, a circumferential groove around said valve bleeding water therethrough in the main axial passage when the valve is rotated to the closed or diverted flow position, means external of the said body member for rotating said valve, a lateral take-off passage in said body upstream of said rotating valve, an L shaped tubular fitting secured in close proximity to said body and said spout and in registry with said takeoff passage delivering thediverted flow as a drinking fountain, and means in said L shaped fitting for regulating both the volume and the pressure of the diverted flow therethrough.

4. A drinking fountain attachment for standard water faucets comprising in combination with a standard water faucet having a downwardly directed spout, a body member with an axial passage therethrough for the normal flow of water axially attached to said spout, means on the upstream end of said body for detachably securing the same to the standard faucet spout, means on the downstream end to detachably secure the usual faucet attachments, a rotating valve in said body member transverse to said axial passage having a bore therethrough to permit the normal flow of water in one position and to divert the flow when rotated to another position, a circumferential groove around said valve bleeding water therethrough in the main axial passage when the valve is rotated to the closed or diverted flow position, means external of the said body member for rotating said valve, a lateral take-off passage in said body upstream of said rotating valve, an L shaped tubular fitting secured in close proximity to said body and said spout, in registry with said take-off passage delivering the diverted flow as a drinking fountain, and means in said L shaped fitting for regulating both the volume and the pressure of the diverted flow therethrough.

References Cited in the file of this patent King. Nov, 29, 1921 

